Floor layer



J. L. TUBE?) FLJOOF LAYER 'Feb. 22, 192?,

Filed Feb. 28. 1924 INVENTOR JESSE L 722555 Patented Feb. 22 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

FLOOR LAYER.

Application filed February 28, 1924. Serial No. 695,674.

This invention relates to improvements in floor laying devices, and more particularly to a .device adapted for use in laying tongue and groove flooring, ceiling, sheathing, or the like, and also which can be used for layi-ng plane flooring boards, sheathing or for similar worl; where it is required the boards be brought tightly together.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide a device of the above character, embodying means that is operable automatically into grippingcontact with joists, floors or studding, a presser head engageable with the board being laid, a lever in connection with the gripping means for applying power against the presser and a ratchet mechanism for holding the presser as it is advanced by the lever.

It is a further object to provide means for automatically returning the parts to normal when released.

A still further object resides in the provision of interchangeable gripping means which adapts the device for use when laying flooring boards on joists, or upon a first floor.

Other objects of the invention reside in the various details of construction and combination of parts embodied in the invention and in their mode of operation.

Inv accomplishing these and other. objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a floor laying device embodying the present invention, showing it equipped for laying boards on floor joists.

Figure 2 is a of" the same. Figure 3 is a top, or plan view, of the device.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a part of the device, as equipped for laying fiooring upon a fioor as distinguished from upon joists.

Referring more in detail to the draw-- ings- 1 and 2 designate parallel bars joined rigidly by upper and lower transverse plates 25 at their ends and intermediate thereof to form a rigid frame, and slidably contained within the frame between said bars and exlongitudinal, sectional view of the presser bar.

tendable from one'end thereof is. a presser bar l provided at its outer end with a presser head 5 that is grooved, as at 6, to fit the tongues of fiooring, siding, sheathing or ceiling boards. The bar along its inner portion has ratchet teeth 7 therein, and at its inner end has a slot 8 for purposes presently described.

At that end of the frame opposite the end at which the presser bar t extends, the upper and lower plates 3 are extended laterally and between these plates levers 10 and 11 are pivotally mounted on pins 12. .These levers have. downturned portions 13 adjacent the ends of the frame adapted for engaging the opposite side faces of a floor joist, or stud, and are provided withteeth 14; to prevent possible slippage. The other end portions of the levers extend upwardly over the frame and are brought together to extend in close relation and at their extreme ends extend in diverging relation. These diverging ends are connected by a coiled spring 15 which yieldably resists spreading a'part'of these ends of the levers and retains the clamping ends yieldably disengaged from the beam or stud on which the device is supported.

Extended between the levers, at the point where they are together, is a fulcrum pin 18, which would be fixed in one lever and slidable through an opening, as at 19, in the other.

An actuating lever 20 is located between the diverging ends of the clamping levers and this has its lower end pivotally fixed by a pin 21 within the slot 8 at the inner end A coiled spring 22 is fixed to the actuating lever, close to its lower end and to the forward cross plate 3 and serves to draw the presser bar inwardly. There is also provided a pawl 25 mounted on a pivot pin 26 supported on bearings 27 on the frame and this is adapted to engage the teeth 7 of bar 4 to prevent its inward movement. The pawl has an extension 25' overlying a'transverse plate 3, and a spring 29 disposed between the plate and the extension holds the pawl yieldably, in contact with the teeth.

I have also provided pivotally mounted wings 31 at opposite sides of the frame at the end opposite the clamping levers, which are adapted to extend downwardly on opposite sides of a joist or stud to hold the device in place during use.

Assuming the device to be so constructed, its use for laying flooring upon joists would be as follows:

The device is placed upon the joist as shown in Figure with the presser head 5 disposed against the board to be pressed into position and the ends 13 of the clamping levers l0 and ll disposed on opposite sides of the joist. As the lever 20 is moved forwardly from position, as shown in Figure 1, toward position, as shown in Figure 2, it engages the levers l0 and 11, causing these engaged ends to be spread apart, thereby moving the clamping ends and teeth l l into holding contact with the joist. As the lever is thus advanced. it contacts with pin 18 which acts as a fulcrum against which lever 20 can be used to extend the presser bar a and to thereby press the flooring board into place. It will be noticed that the presser head has its central portion cut away to facilitate nailing the board While it is held. When the board has been thus pried into position, the pawl engages the teeth 7 to prevent retraction of the bar. Then when nailing has been finished, the operator presses with his foot on the pawl extension 25 and thus releases the bar and the spring 22 draws the parts back to normal position.

In case the device is to be used for laying flooring over a first floor where joists are not accessible for the clamping means, the two levers l0 and ll are removed by withdrawing the pins 12, and a floor engaging plate all), as shown in Figure is used in lieu thereof. This plate is equipped on its under side with teeth ll and it has two bars 4E2 and as fixed thereto adapted to er:- tend between the plates 3 and to be held by the reinsertion of the pins 12. Adever or bar l5 is pivotally mounted on a pin l6 extended between the bars l2 and l3 just back of plate lO, and at its upper end is pivotally fixed between the ears 4? attached to the lever 20.

The device as thus constructed is used in the same manner as before described except that plate all) is pressed by tbefoot of the operator into holding relation with the floor, and the bar e5 serves as a means against which lever 20 may bear to move the presser bar l outwardly.

Such devices can be used in like manner for ceiling, siding, sheathing, or plane boards, and by the use of interchangeable parts, can be used on joists, studding or on flat surfaces.

Having thus described my invention, what 1,618,896 r a p I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

l A. device of the class described comprising a guide frame, a presser bar slidably contained in said frame and adapted for longitudinal movement thereof; and

having ratchet teeth therein, a presser head connecting the diverging ends of said levers to yieldably retain the clamping ends disengaged from the support, a fulcrum supported between the clamping levers, an ctuating lever disposed between the diverging ends of the clamping levers, pivot-ally connected at its lower end to the presser bar and operable to effectthe spreading apart of these ends of the clamping levers and then against the fulcrum to effect functional movement of the presser bar, and a pawl mounted on the frame to engage the teeth of the said presser bar to prevent retract-ion thereof.

2. A device of the class described comprising a guide frame, a presser bar slidably contained in said frame and adapted for extension from one end thereof, a presser head at the outer end of said bar, and ratchet teeth along the inner portion thereof, a pair of clamping levers pivotally fined to the frame having downturned toothed end portions adapted to holdingly engage opposite sides of a supporting beam and having upwardly extending end portions extended in close relation and then in diverging rela tion, a fulcrum pin extended between the levers, a spring connecting the diverging ends of the levers, an actuating lever disposed between the diverging ends of the clamping levers pivotally connected at its lower end to the presser bar and operable to effect the spreading apart of those ends of the levers to move the clamping ends into holding con tact with the supporting beam and then against the fulcrum pin to effect extension of the presser bar, a pawl mounted on the frame to engage the ratchet teeth of-the presser bar to prevent return movement and a spring connected with the frame and to the actuating lever whereby the latter and the presser bar are returned to normal position when the pawl is released. I

Signed at Tacoma, Pierce County, W hington, this 11th day of January, 1924.

JESSE L. T'UBBS. 

